


The Red Lion

by thatonepersoneveryonehates



Series: The Bonds Between [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Lance (Voltron), Blue Paladin Lance (Voltron), Canonical Character Death, Gen, Perspective of the Red Lion, Red is Stubborn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25682491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatonepersoneveryonehates/pseuds/thatonepersoneveryonehates
Summary: The Red Lion was more than just a metallic warship. She was passion and fire. She was determined and stubborn. She refused to do so many things and one had to prove themselves to even get her to look at them.Unlike the rest of the lions, she was very different from her Paladins. Of course, they all shared the same quintessence, so they showed one of those fiery traits that she was made of, but Keith may just be the closest she’s ever had.
Relationships: Alfor & Blaytz & Gyrgan & Trigel & Zarkon (Voltron), Alfor & Red Lion (Voltron), Black Lion & Blue Lion & Green Lion & Red Lion & Yellow Lion (Voltron), Keith & Red Lion (Voltron), Voltron Lions & Voltron Paladins
Series: The Bonds Between [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847500
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	The Red Lion

**Author's Note:**

> The second installation on the Bonds Between series. Luckily I already have these written!

She did not come slowly into existence. She did not blossom or melt into wakefulness. She did not rise from the void of non-existence with a yawn. She was birthed like a spark or an explosion. All her fiery passion and intensity radiated off of her form that the Altean engineers had previously been working on, and the engineers themselves had backed up in a hurry so as not to be burned with her pure red quintessence. They gazed up at her in awe.

She was brilliant and oh so bright. Her sister, Black, was already awake and aware, and Green's mind was already slowly waking. Her body was half-built, just a skeleton.

A team of non-builders was sitting in the hanger, looking at her with varying degrees of surprise and amusement. One, a regal-looking bearded man walked closer to her.

His eyes were an icy blue color. His hair a snowy white and pulled pack into a ponytail. Teal scales of some sort decorated just below his eyes and contrasted greatly against his dark skin.

This creature was so small, but his presence was big. He filled the room with his pride and ease. He reached a hand out after saying something Red didn't quite catch to touch one of her paws. The teal scales on his cheeks flared with a small glow, and Red felt something brush against her very being.

The feeling was soft at first, as if not to startle her. It got stronger.

Even though she had only recently been born, Red was not one to explore things she did not know. She was already cautious, so she ignored this feeling and brushed it off.

The slowly blossoming mind that was Green let out a chattering laugh, and Black heaved an amused sigh that whispered across their bonds. Red was confused at their reactions at first. That was until the feeling was back at her, brushing against her side once again. This time, it was more insistent.

She refused it once again.

And this was how her bond with Alfor formed. It was almost begrudging, but after Alfor proved himself to her in a battle, Red finally acknowledged him.

The bonds with her sibling's paladins were just as hard for her to form. It was not because she didn't want to trust them, it was that she was unsure if they deserved her trust and respect. They eventually proved themselves to her. She accepted them as if they were her own. They all belonged to her in one way or another. They were her pride, and she would protect her pride no matter how much it pained her.

Alfor was much different than her. His quintessence was a low burning fire, almost like embers. It glowed softly along their bond and fed into her burning forest fire. They shared the same determination and passion, but he trusted easier than Red and gave too much of himself to others in Red's opinion. He was far too gentle with punishments and gave mercy to all who fell to their knees in front of him no matter their misdeeds.

For phebes, Alfor and her completed many battles with the rest of their team. They grew stronger together until they were all closer than a family. Voltron bonds were much different than regular bonds, and they tied each paladin together in a way no mortal creature had or ever would experience.

So when Alfor approached her one day, entering her cockpit and sitting down quietly, she knew something was up. She could feel his uncertainty seep through to her even when the bond was not fully opened. His responsibility also seeped through, though it was much less prominent than his uncertainty.

She could tell he had bad news for her before he even began to speak. His voice was a gentle timber her always used when he had to speak to scared civilians or when he told parents that their child was not going to come home. It was the same tone he used to tell Allura that her mother was going to die in a year due to health complications. The same tone he used on Trigel when Rynesh was wounded in a battle.

Knowing all of this, she wanted to block him out. If he was telling her something with this tone, it would surely break her. Or hurt her.

"Red." He started slowly, "You know I would never leave you willingly. You and the rest of the pride are my everything and I care for each of you very much. But I have duties I must attend to now that Cillo has passed, and Allura needs me more than ever. As much as I wish I could stay, the time it would take to find someone to be regent would be far too long for Voltron to be inactive."

Fury rose and fell inside of Red. She knew he wasn't sick or dying. So what right did he have to leave her? His duty was to piolet her and defend the universe with the rest of the pride. He couldn't just up and leave that job just because one petty little planet could exist without his rule.

Didn't he have an advisor, Coran? Couldn't he take over while Alfor was out defending the universe from the real threats? Allura was young, yes, but she was old enough to understand the politics of her planet. She could take over.

"Please don't shut me out! I promised I would not leave, and I'm not. Not forever at least, I just won't be your sole paladin anymore. I have too many responsibilities between matters on Altea and within the Coalition itself. I will always be a part of the pride, but I cannot always be your paladin. Another has already been chosen from those who volunteered. I handpicked them because I know how you are, and I know that you are very picky. You will love them just as much as you love me. I promise."

Red wanted to ignore him, but she trusted him too much. She trusted his judgment and let him introduce her new paladin.

He was vastly different from Alfor. His skin was blue, and his face droopier than she would have liked. There was a too-easy smile on his lips and lazy calmness in his eyes. He was too relaxed and too easy going. She even questioned if they shared the same quintessence color since he acted more like he should have blue than red.

His name was Blaytz, and she already knew who he was. He may not have been a member of the Voltron pride, but the paladins had considered him a part of the team. He'd followed them around in a small fighter jet, backing them up since they'd had their first mission. He was the backup member, only called on if the rest of the team could not do their jobs or were incapacitated.

He'd never impressed Red before. He was weak and inconsequential. If this was the creature that was supposed to replace Alfor, Red was concerned he was going wacky in the head.

Alfor continued to reassure her, telling her it would work out and all she had to do was try. He assured her that Blaytz would prove himself to her if she allowed him to.

And because she trusted Alfor, she gave it a chance.


End file.
